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ELA.SL.9-10.1a

Common core State Standards

ELA: English Language Arts

SL: Speaking and Listening Standards 6-\x80\x9312

9-10: 9th & 10th Grades

1a:
Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions
(one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-\x80\x9310
topics, texts, and issues, building on others'\x80\x99 ideas and expressing their own
clearly and persuasively.

a. Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under
study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from
texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful,
well-reasoned exchange of ideas.

b. Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making
(e.g., informal consensus, taking votes on key issues, presentation of
alternate views), clear goals and deadlines, and individual roles as needed.

c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the
current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate
others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and
conclusions.

d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of
agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their
own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the
evidence and reasoning presented.

Download Common Core State Standards (PDF 1.2 MB)

|

ELA.SL.9-10.1c

Common core State Standards

ELA: English Language Arts

SL: Speaking and Listening Standards 6-12

9-10: 9th & 10th Grades

1c:
Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions
(one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10
topics, texts, and issues, building on others'\x80\x99 ideas and expressing their own
clearly and persuasively.

a. Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under
study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from
texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful,
well-reasoned exchange of ideas.

b. Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making
(e.g., informal consensus, taking votes on key issues, presentation of
alternate views), clear goals and deadlines, and individual roles as needed.

c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the
current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate
others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and
conclusions.

d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of
agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their
own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the
evidence and reasoning presented.

Download Common Core State Standards (PDF 1.2 MB)

|

ELA.RH.9-10.3

Common core State Standards

ELA: English Language Arts

RH: Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies 6-12

9-10: 9th & 10th Grades

3:
Analyze in detail a series of events described in
a text; determine whether earlier events caused
later ones or simply preceded them.

Download Common Core State Standards (PDF 1.2 MB)

Thought starters

1. What are the benefits of having students choose their own research topics?

2. How does the tree diagram help students think about root causes and effects of the contemporary problems they're researching?

3. How do civic engagement lessons prepare students for their futures?

School Details

Oakland Technical High School
4351 Broadway
Oakland CA 94611

Data Provided By:

Teachers

English Language Arts Social Studies / 9 / Teacher

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High school students in Matt Colley's social studies class work in small groups to synthesize research they've done on a contemporary issue, and begin to make a plan about how and where they can make change. Class begins with students working individually on a tree diagram to process their research.

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10 TEAM BUILDING GAMES FOR THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS

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10 TEAM BUILDING GAMES FOR THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS

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by TeachThought Staff

Team-building activities are great. Not only can they help establish routines, tone, and expectations, they're also fun, and can help learners feel comfortable. Though many older students in high school and college may groan at their thought, they're usually fun, and great ways to help students feel at ease. Before you dismiss them as too juvenile, try one. You might be surprised.

Note that which game you choose, your rules for the game, and any revisions to the rules depend on the nature of the class you're using them with. Certain students may feel overly liberated-especially in middle school-with the idea of a "game," and so expectations must be carefully given to younger K-8 learners-and even 9-12-to ensure that every student is set up for success.
1. Me Too!
Ideal Grade Levels: K-20

First student gives a fact about themselves-I love basketball, I have two sisters, etc. If that statement or fact is true about another student, they stand up and say "Me too!" They can also stay seated, but simply raise their hand and say "Me too!"
2. Park Bench
Ideal Grade Levels: 6-20

Two chairs are placed together to resemble park bench. Two students volunteer-or are selected-to act out "what happened" in a fictional news story. They are given one minute to prepare a scene where they discuss the "event" without every actually saying what happened. After given time period (1-5 minutes), peers guess "what happened," but they must give up all four important details: Who, What, Where, and When, e.g.:

What: College Basketball game

Who: Kentucky and Kansas

When: Early April

Where: New Orleans
3. Fact or Fiction
Ideal Grade Levels: 3-12

In circle, first student offers two facts and one piece of fiction about themselves. Others raise hand or are called on to identify which were facts, and which were fiction. The correct guesser goes next. Play is completed when all students have gone.
4. Green Door
Ideal Grade Levels: 5-20

Leader chooses a topic, but keeps it quiet, only saying that "You can bring a ____ through the green door." Students are then forced to deduce the topic by asking if other things can be brought through the green door as well, e.g., "Can I bring a _____ through the green door?"

Leader can only reply yes or no. When topic is identified, topic resets. Topics can be content related, such as parts of speech, colors, geometric figures, historical figures, etc.
5. One Minute Talk
Ideal Grade Levels: 5-20

Students are chosen to give 60 second talks on anything, from self-selected topics they are passionate about, have specific expertise in, etc., to topics given from teacher.
6. Count to Ten
Ideal Grade Levels: 3-20

All students stand in circle. First student says "1," or "1,2." The next student picks up where that student left off, and can say a maximum number of 2 numbers. The movement continues clockwise until it gets to 10, where that student has to sit, and the game starts back over at 1 at the next student. Note that there can be no pausing or silent counting-any pauses or indications the student is counting/calculating forces them to sit. Also, pouting or talking during counting results in elimination from future rounds. The big idea is to count strategically so that you can keep from saying "10."
7. I Never
Ideal Grade Levels: K-20

Students form circle. First student says something they've never done. Each student that has done the thing the other student has not steps briefly into the center. The game continues until every person has stated something they've done.
8. Magic Ball
Ideal Grade Levels: K-20

Students form circle. First student is "given" imaginary magic ball. Student sculpts imaginary ball into new shape, handing it to person to their right. Activity is silent. Any talking/noise results in student sitting. After game, guessing may be done to predict what "sculpture" was.
9. Silent Line
Ideal Grade Levels: K-8

Students are given a criteria, and must silently put themselves in a line as quickly as possible, to meet a goal, compete against other classes, or receive some reward (free reading time, no homework, etc.) The criteria can simple (birthdays), or slightly more complicated (alphabetical order of college or career ambition).
10. Inside-Outside Circle
Ideal Grade Levels: 3-20

Students form a circle within a circle with (ideally) equal number of students in both circles. Inside circle members pair with outside circle members. Activity leader (usually teacher, but can be a student) presents a topic, prompt, or question. Partners share for 10 seconds (or less), leader asks inside circle to move clockwise a certain number of spaces to collaborate with new partners directly across from them. This is usually content focuses, and helps spur quick discussion on content related topics, or even current events.
Source: The Advisory Book by Linda Crawford

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10 Team-Building Games For The First Day Of Class

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by TeachThought Staff Team-building activities are great. Not only can they help establish routines, tone, and expectations, they're also fun, and can help learners feel comfortable. Though many older students in high school and college may groan at their thought, they're usually fun, and great ways to help students feel at ease.

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10 LEADERSHIP TRAITS THAT REQUIRE ZERO TALENT AND PRODUCE INFINITE RESULTS

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10 LEADERSHIP TRAITS THAT REQUIRE ZERO TALENT AND PRODUCE INFINITE RESULTS

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I ran cross country as a high school student. Truthfully I was on the cross country team. My performance would have likely lost to an Olympic speed walker. I was not fast!

Despite my less than impressive times, I was a leader on our team.

At the end of my senior season I was asked to present awards at our sports banquet and to make a formal presentation to our retiring Athletic Director. I had no clue why. Honestly I assumed I was asked by mistake. The only athletic award I ever won was "Most Mediocre" and I was laughable as a public speaker at the time.

Sheepishly I asked my coach why in the world she wanted me to do this. Her response reshaped how I viewed myself and continues to give me permission to lead how I do today. She said, "Kevin, you are presenting because no one else is as qualified because no one else is you. You lead by being you. Don't perform. Don't try hard. Just be you. That's all it takes." She taught me that I had all it took to win without having all the talent I thought I needed.

Every day I am asked to lead in some arena where I have very limited talent. The good news is that talent is overrated when it comes to making an impact as a leader. Talent creates unforgettable performers, but leadership demands something deeper. Below are 10 traits requiring no talent from you as a leader, but will net you strong results.

If you cannot be early at least be on time. Tardiness is a sign of disrespect to those counting on you. Chronic lateness is the fruit of lack of discipline or little margin. Both serve leaders poorly. Promptness is an irreducible minimum in leadership.

When the work gets hard, work hard. While we need personal time in order not to burn out, the best leaders have fight to make that happen. Mark Cuban says, "Work like there is someone working 24 hours a day to take it all away from you."

"Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work." Stephen King. While I will never be the most talented person in a room, I will always out-effort all of the talent. Those whose efforts push harder will be promoted higher.

Make an impact by how you carry yourself. Hold your shoulders back, look people in the eye, don't sigh when working, and stand still instead of shifting weight. These communicate confidence. Two ways to stand out in our culture using your body language is to smile and keep your face out of your phone.

"Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity." Bo Bennett. Leaders cannot delegate energy, it is theirs to supply. It manifests outwardly to get a new project off the ground. It embraces the grind in order to move the machine along.

Chose an attitude of joy over skepticism. When others are nonchalant, have an attitude that simply cares more than the competition. Lead yourself to determine your attitude instead of allowing circumstances to determine it for you.

Passion is the fuel for success. Don't underestimate the power of being fired up for your cause. And don't mistake passion for volume. Mature passion is always relentless but rarely loud.

Teachability is the hallmark of next level leaders. Learn to ask questions and listen. Know what you do not know and stay humble enough to allow others to guide you.

Chic-fil-A is known for "Second Mile Service." Refuse to do just enough. Over delivering is remembered long after the delivery is over. Remarkable people give you more than you pay for, ask for or expect.

Sweat in preparation so you don't bleed in battle. Flying by the seat of your pants is good for those who want to get by on talent. Unseen preparation results in unforgettable performances.

I believe these traits can help you realize your leadership potential. While you put these into practice, I am starting training for speed walking in the next Olympics!

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10 Leadership Traits That Require Zero Talent and Produce Infinite Results

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Talent is overrated when it comes to making an impact as a leader. Talent creates unforgettable performers, but leadership demands something deeper. Below are 10 traits requiring no talent from you as a leader, but will net you strong results.

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While working as interns, we were tasked with the project of collecting different leadership games to be used for a leadership camp of high school students.

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How well do your team members communicate with one another?

Poor communication lies at the root of many problems. It can lead to mistakes, quality problems, conflict, missed deadlines, and lost opportunities. That's why it can often pay to help your people to develop their communication skills.

One way of doing this is to use appropriate team building activities. Not only can these boost people's communication skills, but they can also help them to build trust and develop good relationships with one another.

In this article, we'll look at six team building exercises that can help your people to communicate better. You can use them to get a new group off to a great start, or with an existing team to resolve issues that might be holding it back.

Exercises to Develop Communication Skills

Your team communicates in many different ways: face-to-face, by video conference, by instant message, and by email. But does it do so effectively?

Use the exercises below to improve essential communication skills like listening, empathy and verbalization. Some of these will also strengthen team members' problem solving, creative thinking and leadership skills.

Exercise 1: Card Pieces*

In this activity, team members trade pieces of playing cards to put together complete cards.

Uses

This exercise is useful for showing team members others' perspectives. It builds communication and negotiation skills, and helps people to develop empathy.

People and Materials

Enough people for at least three teams of two.

Playing cards - use between four and six for each person.

A private room.

Time

Instructions

1. Cut each playing card into half diagonally, then in half diagonally again, so you have four triangular pieces for each card.

2. Mix all the pieces together and put equal numbers of cards into as many envelopes as you have teams.

3. Divide people up into teams of three or four. You need at least three teams. If you're short of people, teams of two will work just as well.

4. Give each team an envelope of playing card pieces.

5. Each team has three minutes to sort its pieces, determine which ones it needs to make complete cards, and develop a bargaining strategy.

6. After three minutes, allow the teams to start bartering for pieces. People can barter on their own or collectively with their team. Give the teams eight minutes to barter.

7. When the time is up, count each team's completed cards. Whichever team has the most cards wins the round.

Advice for the Facilitator

After the activity, ask your team members to think about the strategies they used. Discuss these questions:

Which negotiation strategies worked? Which didn't?

What could they have done better?

What other skills, such as active listening or empathy, did they need to use?

Exercise 2: Make a Team With...*

In this activity, team members must act quickly to form small teams based on instructions that you shout out.

Uses

This activity strengthens communication skills. It also teaches team members how to think on their feet.

People and Materials

Any number of team members.

A private room.

Time

Instructions

1. Explain to participants that they will have to form a team based on the instructions that you shout out. For example, some instructions could include "Get into a team with people who have the same number of children as you" or "Get into a team with people who like similar types of music to you."

2. Shout out instructions. People can shout out or sit down to signal that their team is "complete." Encourage people to work as quickly as possible. Repeat the exercise as many times as you want.

Advice for the Facilitator

Talk with your team about how this activity encouraged them to communicate. How could they learn to open up and communicate more effectively in work situations in the future?

Exercise 3: The Elephant List

This exercise is for teams that are committed to open and honest conversations, even when the subject is a difficult one.

Uses:

Not all exercises are light-hearted or playful. Sometimes, it may be necessary to shine a light on subjects that your team has been avoiding, or that it doesn't know how to broach. This activity can help teams to have a candid conversation about the proverbial "elephant in the room," such as a key manager's impending retirement, or a serious flaw in a process or decision.

Tip:

This exercise requires a very experienced facilitator. Your team members may be reluctant to discuss contentious issues in a group, or they may be fearful of raising subjects that could be seen as "off limits" to them. The facilitator will need to reassure participants that they can do so in a safe, trusting environment.

People and Materials:

Any number of team members but, if there are more than six or seven people taking part, you may have to have a quick vote to decide which "elephants" to address, and in which order.

Sticky notes or small sheets of paper with an elephant image, which you can call "elephant sheets" (you can get creative here!).

Three flip charts in a wide circle, or in a U-shape.

Time:

You can set your own time limit for discussions.

Instructions:

1. Assemble your team and explain the objectives of the exercise, which are: to create an environment of open communication, to identify any obstacles or problems that the team faces, and to help the team move forward on projects or initiatives while openly discussing potential "elephants in the room."

2. Explain that you will address each elephant using the principles of Control-Influence-Accept (CIA). This means deciding whether they are issues that the participants have Control over, that they can Influence, or that they need to Accept.

3. Hand out the sticky notes or elephant sheets, and give your team members five minutes to write down one elephant. They should also write whether their elephant is C, I or A. Putting their names on the sheet or sticky note is optional.

4. Collect the elephants, read them aloud one by one, then record them on the relevant flip charts (marked C, I or A).

5. As mentioned above, if you have a large number of elephants or are limited by time, you may need to vote on which ones to address.

6. Decide as a group whether the A elephants really are issues that just have to be accepted, and agree on whether any of the C or I elephants are actually A elephants. Then, let the A-list elephants go. Basically, just accept them.

7. Tackle C and I elephants in open conversations, and try to come up with solutions or action items. Look at each elephant through the "4 Ws." Why are we doing this, or why is this happening? What are we doing about it? Who can resolve this issue? When can we resolve this?

Advice for the Facilitator

Define specific actions that your whole team agrees with and create an action plan to carry them out. Then, continue to coach and support your team when addressing other elephants in the future.

Exercise 4: Just Listen*

This is an activity that encourages participants to communicate how they feel about a subject. People get into pairs and one member talks about his or her opinions. His partner listens without speaking, and then, without rebuttal, recaps on what has been said.

Uses

This activity strengthens your team members' listening skills. Listening is an incredibly important part of good communication, and it's a skill that people often ignore in team activities. This activity also shows them how to listen with an open mind.

People and Materials

An even number of team members, ideally.

Eight index cards for each team of two. Each card should list one topic. The topics should be interesting, but not too controversial. You don't want the listeners disliking the speakers just because they disagree with their viewpoint.

A private room.

Time

Instructions

1. Have your team members sit down in pairs.

2. Give each pair eight index cards.

3. One partner will blindly choose a card and then speak for three minutes on how she feels about the topic. As she talks, the other person cannot speak - his goal is to listen.

4. After three minutes, the listener has one minute to recap on what his partner has said. He cannot debate, agree or disagree - only summarize.

5. Next, the roles switch, and the process starts again.

Advice for the Facilitator

Talk with your team members about how they felt about this exercise. Discuss these questions:

How did speakers feel about their partners' ability to listen with an open mind? Did their partners' body language communicate how they felt about what was being said?

How did listeners feel about not being able to speak about their own views on the topic? How well were they able to keep an open mind? How well did they listen?

How well did the listening partners summarize the speakers' opinions? Did they get better as the exercise progressed?

How can they use the lessons from this exercise at work?

Exercise 5: The Blindfold Game*

In this activity, blindfolded participants must rely on their partners to navigate an "assault course" successfully.

Uses

This helps to improve communication and listening skills, and to build trust between partners.

People and Materials

Any size group works well in this exercise.

Enough blindfolds for half of the participants.

A large, private room.

Furniture and other items that you can use as obstacles.

Time

Instructions

1. Scatter furniture and objects around the room before the activity begins. Your course should be challenging, but still safe to navigate around.

2. Put team members into pairs and ask them to stand at one end of the room.

3. One person from each pair should put on the blindfold.

4. The sighted people must guide their partners across the room, and give instructions to help them to avoid the obstacles.

5. When each team reaches the other side of the room, partners should switch roles and then repeat the exercise.

Advice for the Facilitator

Talk with your group after the exercise. Discuss these questions:

How did participants have to communicate differently to guide their partners?

How did their listening skills change and adapt when they were blindfolded?

You might find it helpful for team members to take our self tests, " How Good Are Your Listening Skills?" and " How Good Are Your Communication Skills?" These will help them to understand how well they listen and communicate, and identify how they can improve.

Exercise 6: Build a Bridge*

In this activity, two teams must work together to build a bridge using materials that you supply. They each build half of the bridge and then "connect" the two pieces to make a complete one, made up of two similar designs.

The activity is challenging because the room is divided: no team is able to see how the other constructs its bridge. Teams have to communicate verbally through a sheet or tarpaulin that divides the room, as they work.

Uses

The Build a Bridge activity strengthens communication skills because each team has to discuss ideas and brainstorm ways to use their materials to build half a bridge. In addition, this activity improves group problem solving and creative thinking. You can also use it to develop people's leadership skills if you decide to elect a team leader for each group, or if people naturally take the lead.

People and Materials

Enough people for at least two teams of three. If you have a larger group, you can create several teams - just make sure that you have an even number and enough space and tarpaulin to give each team a secluded area to work in.

Materials for bridge building. This could include toy bricks, pieces of wood, tape, glue, pipes, canvas, paper, or straws.

Notepads and pencils for drawing.

Tape measures.

Tarpaulins or sheets to section off the room, giving each team a private area to build its bridge in.

Time

Instructions

1. Before participants arrive, arrange the tarpaulins or sheets throughout the room so that teams won't be able to see one another's work.

2. Divide participants into two (or four or six) teams. Team size doesn't matter; however, teams of four or fewer might be most effective.

3. Give each group a bag of materials. Each bag should contain the same number and type of materials. Each team should also get a notepad and pencils, and a tape measure.

4. Give everyone 10 minutes to draw their ideas. Remind teams to communicate with their "partner group" on the other side of the tarpaulin to make sure that they come up with similar designs. Remember, each half of the bridge must be able to "join" at the end of the building phase.

5. Each team then gets up to 40 minutes to construct its half of the bridge. While the teams build, walk around to ensure that each team communicates with the other through the tarpaulin.

6. When time is up, remove the tarpaulin to see how close each group came to matching their partner team's bridge.

Advice for the Facilitator

When you finish the activity, use the questions below to start a discussion:

What was most challenging about this activity?

Who was responsible for communicating instructions between teams? If a number of people issued instructions through the tarpaulin, would it have been easier to appoint just one person on each team to do this job?

Were there any miscommunications? If so, what happened?

If a team appointed a leader, how well did this person lead the group? What were the leader's strengths and weaknesses?

Key Points

No matter how well your team communicates, using group activities to strengthen existing skills can be an enjoyable way of developing good working relationships. They're especially useful for building relationships and improving communication in new teams, and for solving communication issues within existing teams.

Some team activities that focus on communication can also help people to develop problem solving, creativity and leadership skills.

Apply This to Your Life

Would your team members benefit from improving their communication skills?

If so, think about whether you could work through any of these exercises at your next team meeting or team building event.

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Team Building Exercises - Communication: Fun Ways to Build Communication Skills

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How well do your team members communicate with one another? Poor communication lies at the root of many problems. It can lead to mistakes, quality problems, conflict, missed deadlines, and lost opportunities. That's why it can often pay to help your people to develop their communication skills.

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DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP SKILLS IN YOUNG GIFTED STUDENTS

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DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP SKILLS IN YOUNG GIFTED STUDENTS

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How can we determine not only who is a competent leader, but a good leader? Some, like Tom Lickona of the Smart and Good Schools Initiative, believe the proper distinction is between moral and performance character. The former typically refers to having sound values, to be oriented toward an ethical way to behave; the latter refers to the essential importance of having the skills -- particularly SEL skills-- to carry out one's values.

What does this mean for leadership? From a social-emotional and character development (SECD) perspective, it means that the skill-based performance of leaders must be judged along with the character of that performance. And how shall we judge that character?

Sargent Shriver, whose leadership credentials are unrivaled in American public service, believed leaders must act and infuse their organizations with:

1) A sense of purpose: The values of an organization must be clear, members of the organization should know them, and they should exemplify and uphold them in their own actions.

2) Justice: Everyone in an organization should be held to common standards, with rules and procedures that are clear, firm, fair, and consistent.

3) Temperance: A leader must strive to maintain a proper balance of emotions; Shriver did not mean that leaders should be dispassionate. Quite the contrary- but there are time for passionate advocacy and times for quiet reflection and reconsideration. Balance is the key.

4) Respect: The dignity of each individual is the concern of any leader, and this is preserved by treating all members of the organization with respect and ensuring they treat one-another similarly, regardless of differences.

5) Empowerment: Leaders are just that- leaders. Most of what happens in organizations is carried out by individuals other than those in formal leadership positions. Therefore, the more skilled they are, the more they feel confident in their abilities and competent to make decisions, raise questions, see new possibilities, and disagree respectfully with others at all levels of the organizational hierarchy, the stronger and more successful the organization will be.

6) Courage: Leaders are paid to set direction, not wait for direction to emerge. They have to be willing to follow their convictions and bring their organization to new places. In education, this is most sorely needed in response to the test-based regimen that has taken over our schools at the expense of true education and social-emotional and character development.

7) Deep Commitment: Leaders must not be polishing their resumes, but rather should have deep commitment to their organizations, the advancement of the organizations' missions, and the wellbeing of everyone in them. It is this deep commitment that makes leadership in schools so challenging, because it requires a commitment to every employee, student, and parent.

The performance of a leader must be judged by his or her skills and the character of his or her performance in the many and complex roles that leadership demands. Using the seven cornerstones of leading with character, derived from the life and work of Sargent Shriver, educators and those concerned with education have a tool for both evaluating and improving leadership competencies along both moral and performance dimensions.

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The 7 Characteristics of a Good Leader | Edutopia

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How can we determine not only who is a competent leader, but a good leader? Some, like Tom Lickona of the Smart and Good Schools Initiative, believe the proper distinction is between moral and performance character.

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The Harvard Education Letter recently ignited a "buzz" in education circles with a report on four longitudinal studies that tried to identify common childhood characteristics for people who became leaders as adults.

Cultivating student leadership has been a critical part of my classroom practice for the last eight years. I became a high school teacher after spending 19 years as a community organizer. One of the primary reasons I made the switch was that I had witnessed adults making dramatic positive changes in their lives because of the leadership skills they had learned in organizing. Wouldn't it be better, I thought, if people developed these abilities when they were younger?

Here are a few of the strategies that I employ to nurture student leadership:

Develop Power

"Leadership is the wise use of power. Power is the capacity to translate intention into reality and sustain it." -Warren Bennis, scholar, author, and pioneer in leadership studies

You really can't be a leader without having power, which most dictionaries define as "the ability to act."

One way to have power is by feeling a strong sense of self-efficacy-a strong belief that you can accomplish your goals. William Glasser calls this quality the "power within." Differentiation strategies, including the ones shared by Katie Hull-Sypnieski and me in this space last month, can help to build students' self-efficacy.

Teaching students about learning strategies can also strengthen self-efficacy. This is different from teaching skills. Being able to turn on the car's ignition is a skill, but if you'd lost your car keys, you'd need strategies. We can help our students gain the capacity to tackle unforeseen problems by emphasizing comprehension, not decoding; using inductive learning to ask students to identify patterns and not always explicitly telling the "rule" in advance; and helping them learn to categorize information instead of just listing data.

We can also introduce students to what community organizers call "relational power" when we use cooperative learning activities and invite as much participatory democracy in the classroom as possible. We can be more open to students' ideas about how our classrooms look and where students are seated. We can even let students grade their own work-which can work surprisingly well. I have had students grade their own work during my entire teaching career: 90 percent of the time I have left the grade as is, 5 percent of the time I've raised it, and 5 percent of the time the student and I have jointly decided to lower it after a discussion.

Glasser suggests that 95 percent of classroom management issues occur as a result of students trying to fulfill a need for power. Power is not a finite pie. When we share power with our students, it doesn't mean that we "have less power" -but it can mean we've created more possibilities for learning and leadership.

Enhance Intrinsic Motivation

The studies described in The Harvard Education Letter identified intrinsic motivation as a key childhood characteristic among adults who became leaders. I've previously shared various actions teachers can take to improve students' intrinsic motivation. For example, we can build relationships with students so we can learn their self-interests, hopes, and dreams, and be better prepared to more explicitly connect lessons to them. We can praise effort and specific actions more than intelligence. And we can encourage cooperative learning. (Read about additional strategies here.)

Explore the Stories of Leaders

A substantial amount of recent research has found that reading stories-fiction or non-fiction-can promote empathy and alter behavior. I have my students read short examples that demonstrate leadership and we use them as opportunities for literacy instruction and for exploration of leadership characteristics that connect to students' own lives. For example, we have read stories highlighting Martin Luther King's emphasis on developing relationships, Cesar Chavez's willingness to take risks, and Nelson Mandela's sense of vision.

Teach Others

Good leaders also teach others. You may have heard of Edgar Dale's "Cone of Experience": "We learn 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, 30% of what we see, 50% of what we see and hear, 70% of what we say or write...[and] 90% of what we teach." Though the research behind this statement has been discredited, many leadership experts (including William Glasser) still quote it often because they say it reflects their personal experiences. I agree. And, of course, numerous other respected studies have found peer-assisted learning to be very effective.

Teaching others not only requires students to reread and return to learned material but it also enhances self-confidence and provides good modeling for peers. When employed effectively, this strategy can help students develop the kinds of relationships that are critical for genuine leadership that moves people into collective action. When peers teach one another, they develop respect for each others' judgment and expertise. After all, how can someone truly be considered a leader if they do not have a following?

"Teaching others" can be implemented in the classroom in multiple ways. Small groups of students can teach short lessons to other small groups, who then reverse roles (in my experience, this set-up works far better than having small groups teach the entire class). Alternatively, individual students can prepare short clozes (fill-in-the-blank statements) and then exchange them, keeping in mind that their statements need to be carefully designed so that their peers can use context clues to complete them. The well-known "jigsaw" concept-in which students become experts and teach each other about a topic in small groups-is yet another useful method. When a lesson includes a cooperative learning activity, I try to identify unofficial "leaders" for each group and have private conversations before the lesson and "de-briefings" afterward with them.

Take Action On Community Issues

We can also develop student leadership by creating opportunities for students to take collective action to improve their community-addressing issues that matter to them. For example, when my class of English-language learners was studying for the U.S. Citizenship test that many would be taking in the future, they went beyond what would be "on the test." They explored what it would take to be an active citizen (not just a citizen in legal terms). One of the criteria for active citizenship, the class determined, was to be engaged in improving the community. But how to begin? How do we decide what issues are most critical to our communities? Students decided they wanted to learn about other community members' greatest concerns.

Each student initiated conversations with 10 other people, including students in and outside of the class as well as adults within and outside their families. They sought answers to these questions:

* What is this person interested in? How do they spend their time? What gives them energy?

* What goals does this person have for next year? Five years from now? Ten years from now?

* What does this person worry about?

* What other concerns about the community might this person have?

Through the process, students identified a lack of jobs as an issue that they wanted to work on, and they decided to focus on job-training opportunities. They invited representatives from a variety of programs to a meeting at the school, then spent class periods role-playing and planning. They contacted their interviewees, convincing a crowd of 150 to attend a multilingual gathering led by students.

Here are some of the students' post-project reflections:
I felt pride in myself because it is not that easy to speak in front of so many people. I felt important and good for speaking in front of people. When I saw so many teachers, parents, and friends get together in the meeting, we had more power. I learned that I can speak in front of a lot of people and do it well even if it is not in my language.
Community organizing and education have very similar goals. Rene Cardenas writes that the purpose of community development has never been to build a road or improve a park but "to teach others to teach themselves, to learn how to learn, and to evolve from a history of dependence ... to one of independence and helpfulness." That's exactly what I'm trying to do in my high school classroom: cultivate tomorrow's leaders.

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The Harvard Education Letter recently ignited a "buzz" in education circles with a report on four longitudinal studies that tried to identify common childhood characteristics for people who became leaders as adults. Cultivating student leadership has been a critical part of my classroom practice for the last eight years.

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Swamp Romp: Engage the Outdoors
This is a team building game which requires people to be relatively fit and able to do a type of cross-country race. It takes a good amount of time, therefore it's good for a weekend away or training conference. Of course, as with all of our games it can be adapted to many situations.
Short Leadership Games and Icebreakers
These are a selection of short leadership games and icebreakers when you don't have a lot of time to work with. It's still important to build a good atmosphere and sense of connection between your group or team, so click on the link above and have a look.

Charades is a great icebreaker or for training purposes. It helps to get people out of their comfort zones and realize how they're communicating with each other. This one is particular good for older people as it's been a well known game for years.
Leading the Blind
Leadings the Blind is a fun game, which is great for people to use their own communication skills to get through to the end. This is also well known but its good to get a group of people out of a conference or class room and refresh them half way through the day.
Leaders you Admire
Leaders you Admire is taking the examples of other leaders and drawing great characteristics from them. Group discussion is also a high value in this icebreaker/leadership game.

This can be used to gather leadership traits and brainstorm/categorize their values.
YouTube Leadership Traits
YouTube Leadership Traits is a great and fun game. It's very creative and innovative as it challenges modern information gathering methods and lets people express the creative leader inside of them.
The Leadership Race
The Leadership Race is a game designed to learn and gage the leadership experience of the chosen group. Be a strong and communicative leader to use this game to draw the best out of your group and also share some important insights.
The Human Icebreaker
The human icebreaker is the perfect leadership game to play at the beginning of a training day or talk. It opens up conversation and forces the group to communicate with each other to get the answers they need to play the game.
The Business Simulation Game
This business training game is really innovative and creative. It brings together similar aspects of teamwork and communication training but also allows for creativity and depth whilst working out and pioneering a business idea. Although this is a training game - real ideas and vision can be established through it.
Indian Poker
This game is just meant for fun and laughter to set a good environment for learning or wake people up if it's a tough day. It can also be used for an icebreaker as it causes a lot of laughter and interaction between people.
Mafia Leadership Game
This leadership game is an adaption of a classic party game which most of us grew up on. It's brilliant for building fun and good relationships between team members and helps for people who are a little reserved and shy to really engage and build better friendships.

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Swamp Romp: Engage the Outdoors This is a team building game which requires people to be relatively fit and able to do a type of cross-country race. It takes a good amount of time, therefore it's good for a weekend away or training conference.

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Activities and Exercises | Leadership Education and Development | George Mason University

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© 2018 George Mason University. For All Inquiries: 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, Virginia 22030 TDD: 703-993-1002 | Phone: 703-993-1000

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TIPS FOR STUDENTS: LEADERSHIP QUALITIES: STAYING ON TARGET

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TIPS FOR STUDENTS: LEADERSHIP QUALITIES: STAYING ON TARGET

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Tips for Students: Leadership Qualities -- Staying On Target

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What leadership qualities should students develop? Review this helpful list, and begin developing these qualities and traits today.